


Offer me that Deathless Death

by BatsAreFluffy



Series: Like tears in the rain [26]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Gore, Hurt Bruce Wayne, because in the end he writes the best titles, do not read while eating, evil scientist lair, found person, i love picking on him, missing person, sorta - Freeform, title from hozier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:01:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27220873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatsAreFluffy/pseuds/BatsAreFluffy
Summary: It had been the Robins who had finally tracked B down to an abandoned area in Michigan, in a little abandoned town of Pere Cheney.
Series: Like tears in the rain [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950151
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Offer me that Deathless Death

**Author's Note:**

> creepy time.  
> Oh, and Pere Cheney is real, but I'm sure no one is tortured there.

It had been the Robins who had finally tracked B down to an abandoned area in Michigan, in a little abandoned town of Pere Cheney. It had been abandoned nearly a century ago, and was being reclaimed by local vegetation – a single type of moss that covered nearly every structure around them.

The strange moss that grew everywhere seemed to be eating the buildings that the League was searching. A tracking signal had been tripped a week ago. Red Robin had had a hell of a time narrowing it down once it was found to be out of state. There were barely any cell towns in the area to bounce the signal off of.

"What happened to this place?" Nightwing asked over the comms. The full moon was barely shedding any light on the town.

"A workers town," J'onn said from farther ahead. "There was a double outbreak of a disease known as Diphtheria." He phased through another wall. "By the end, there were less than 20 people living in the town limits."

"Spooky," Jason piped up.

"Found a big metal bunker that's not slimy," Tim called.

The team assembled by what looked like a building related to the sawmill. If it wasn't so small, Clark would almost say it was just a shed for the groundskeeper of the cemetery. The modern lock certainly didn't mesh with the vibe of the place.

With a squeeze, Clark snapped the lock off, and pulled open the doorway. Nightwing shone a light in, to reveal --

"See? Told ya. Spooky time." Jason said, looking at the deep dark stairwell that circled down the pit. Rusted metal did not give one much hope for stability. "Send the kid - he's lightest."

Red Robin sniffed. "J'onn would be the best choice."

"I will perform initial reconnaissance." J'onn said simply, and descended the stairs. They waited, Jason tapping the hilt of one of the weapon holsters. A crackle, and the martian's voice came back up. "There is another set of doors, with a biometric scanner attached. No signs of inhabitants."

Clark hoisted Jason and Dick under his arms and floated down the central gap in the stairs. He flew back up for Tim, who was busy using his own tech to grab onto a signal of some kind. “I’m still not sure where the beacon is coming from, Supes. It just keeps bouncing.”

J’onn was leaning close to the door. “I’m sensing something – I’m not sure what.” He frowned, confused. “Something is preventing me from passing through the walls. They are reinforced somehow.”

Jason and Dick stepped forward. “Red, crack that door lock,” Nightwing ordered.

“C’mon, c’mon, and there!” Red proclaimed, and was promptly thrown backwards.

The door finished exploding from its hinges before Red had even landed. A swirl of blackness launched at them, snarling. Nightwing drew both escrima sticks, as Jason grabbed a flailing arm and yanked backwards.

The creature shrieked again, throwing Jason in Red Robin. It continued towards Nightwing, long blades held in its hands. Nightwing parried both blades easily, knocking one out of its hands, into the light from the torches – a batarang, bloodied and chipped.

“Batman?” Superman said, reaching the creature before it could start the climb up the stairs. “What’s going on?” He ducked a rough punch that would have broken most of its arm bones.

Jason broke open several more flare torches, bathing the room in eerie light.

It was Batman.

He was covered in blood and oil and other liquids the Robins did not want to guess at. He was still trying to reach the stairs, snarling when he bumped into someone, lashing out with blades and teeth. The cowl’s eyes weren’t lit, but looking like dark, wet pits. Clark figured that he just couldn’t see for all the blood and gore on the cowl itself.

“J’onn, can you hold him?”

The Martian nodded, and smoothly wrapped his arms around the missing man.

“B, you’re safe. I’m going to take your cowl off, I need to see you, see if you’re hurt.” Clark reached forward, slowly.

“I’m not reading any conscious thoughts, Superman,” J’onn said lowly. “He’s nearly catatonic, if not for the attack behaviour.”

“Alright, we really need to see your face. It’s just us, and Nightwing, Red and Hood.” Clark went to unhook the latches, but they were ripped clean off. With a sinking heart, Clark slowly pulled back the cowl.

“Fucking shit!”

“Bruce!”

“Batman?”

Bruce’s skin was chalk white, nearly translucent from blood loss. Nearly his entire face was covered in drying blood, down his nose, into his panting mouth, and off his chin. His cheek bones were obviously broken in several places, and if he had all his teeth it would be a miracle.

The only miracle that they would find tonight.

Even as Nightwing covered a sob into Jason’s shoulder, Clark shuddered, staring at his best friend.

Who wasn’t staring back.

Who wasn’t looking at anyone.

Hollowed out eye sockets oozed more blood down the rivers already made. Burned tissue was already scarring, and nerves had stopped firing a long time ago.

Tucked into the collar of the batsuit was a small note, laminated against the gore. In unknown handwriting, it said:

_Justice is blind._

_And so we shall be._


End file.
